Phil’s BBQ, a longtime staple in San Diego County, is exporting its widely known brand to Temecula as part of a continuing expansion that will ultimately take it beyond California.

By the end of this year, Phil’s hopes to open what will be its fifth freestanding restaurant in a space now occupied by a TGI Fridays, which will be operating through mid-March.

Not only did Phil’s purchase the 6,342-square-foot building — for which it paid $3.2 million — but it also plans to spend more than $4 million on building out the restaurant space.

Even as owner Phil Pace prepares to develop the new Riverside County eatery, he and his team are also eyeing possible locations in Las Vegas in hopes of opening a sixth restaurant there by the end of the year. Pace says the company invests at least 50 percent in the new restaurants and borrows the balance from a commercial bank.

Phil’s BBQ, which opened its first restaurant in 1998, currently has locations in Point Loma, San Marcos, Santee and Rancho Bernardo; three outlets in Petco Park, a venue at the San Diego International Airport; and plans to open an outlet at the new Sycuan Casino hotel resort opening in March.

“We have a lot of people who come in from Phoenix, Vegas, Colorado, a lot of tourists, and they’re always emailing us to let us know these places are available, are you thinking of opening a place out here?” said Pace. “I can be in Vegas and I’m recognized, even without a Phil’s BBQ shirt on. The same thing in Phoenix. It really tells you a lot about our brand recognition.”

Kevin Sheehan, chief operating officer for Phil’s, estimates that the company gets 20 to 30 emails alone from people in the Temecula area inquiring about the possibility of opening there.

Phil’s generally prefers to buy the real estate for its restaurants if it can because not only does it become an asset for the company, but it also makes it less vulnerable to what can became escalating lease costs over time, Sheehan explained.

As part of the new Temecula venue, the Fridays space will be transformed to showcase the Phil’s familiar look and decor, plus it will have a state-of-the-art audio visual system, new bar, and fully remodeled dining room and kitchen.

A big part of the kitchen cost is a "pollution control" unit that essentially sucks the smoke out of the air, Sheehan explained.

The company is moving deliberately in its expansion plans but does hope to open new restaurants as frequently as one a year over the next five years, following the Las Vegas opening.

“We have a lot of employees who have worked for us for 15 to 20 years in California and I’m trying to build a solid company where some day I can step back and build a future for the folks here today,” Pace explained. “Basically we’re lining everything up to secure the employment and future of the majority of the staff who’ve devoted much of their lives to the company.”

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